Check lock



M h so, 1926. I U. S. SHOEMAKER CHECK LOCK Filed Nov. 28, 1924 M 9 II 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 30 1926.

p. s. SHOEMAKER CHECK LOCK Filed Nov 28, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 30, 1926.

" UNITED STATES QPAT NI nLYssns SIDNEY SHOEMAKER', o-r-rnnvenwrox, weer Vaseline, Asseenenhe e110. w. wInLI'AMs, onBno LnY, wnsrvmeanm.

eHneK izoezx Q I ag nea-n n filed November 28, m4. Serial. 110., 752,328..

To a'ZZ: whom it may cancer/m: 1

Be it known thatI, Unvssns S. Stron- MAKER, a citizen of the United States, re:- siding at Princewicli, in the county of Raleigh and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Check Locks, of which the followis a. specification I This invention relates to looks, andinore particularly to looking hooks or the like. The invention is especially designed for use in'oonnection with mine cars, although it is not, of course, limited to such use,

In the mining of coal, it is the, common practice: to give to each miner entering the mine, a number of checks which are usually in theform of small metal discs having a hole inthem, adjacent the edge, by means of which they maybe hung upon a hook number, and this number appears on each of the checks which he takes into the mine with him, NVhe'n he has. filleda' car with coal, he hangs one of his checks on the for the purpose of identifying the car as his, and so that the person charged with the duty ofinspecting aim-dumping the cars as they come out of the mine may know to whom to credit each car. -As the cars I are dumped, the checks are taken off and placed upon. hooks on a live-.board, all checks bearing' the same number being assembled upon the same hook. At the end of the day, therefore, the'number of checks on any given hook on the; liVe-board represents the number of cars which that particularly miner has: filled, and for which he Will be paid; It is found in practice,

miner will surreptitiously remove the check from a filled car belonging tohis neighbor,

and substitute his own cheek, thus depriviJ1gtl1e rightful owner of credit for the car of; coal, and getting credit for ithimself'.

In other Words, it often happens that one miner. thus steals a car of coal" from another, hile the car; is standing on the track in the mine waiting to be hauled out. This, asfwill be appreciated, gives rise to many disputes and controversies.

The primary object of the present inyention, therefore, is to I provide 5 means 7 for or the. like. 1 Each minerv is. assigned a ear by means, of a suitable. nail, or hook, I

however, that frequently some unscrupulous.

preventing "the unauthorized removal of a checkfroin a car afterlitj has. once been attached the ininen To this end,,fthe v invention comprises a lock adapted tofbe secured to the car-and hav ng. a hook or shackle .movably mounted therein and, projecti'ng therefrom, on which hook or shackle the check is hung. This, lock is provided II lock," in the event that the ti-pp le, na-n fails or neglectsto remove the check at: the proper time, and the car is restored to normal position.

In order that the invention maybe readily u-nderstoogcvl, reference is had to the aeeom pany ng drawlngs, form ng part of this specification,' and in which Figure l is a sideelevation showing ThusQ-Ynotuntil the: car' reaches its conventional form of mine car and dumping app arat stherefor; 1

Figure 2, is a side elevation oi one fol-111' of my iiniprovedfloekfihe Wall of thez eajsing in openposition; I I

Figure; 3 is a similar View showing the shackle in closed position, with a check supported thereon, and alsofillustrating the lock casing in a, different anguv-l'ar position. relative totheg' horizo'n; I g I Figure 4 is a. vertical, SQCblJOJJli'OlLlZhLQdlIlG of Figure .3; v- I 'Figurefi isahoriz'ontal: seotion onthe line 55- of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a View of the'cheekp' Figure 7 is a view similarjto, Figures 2 a'nd,3,, but showing, a modified construction @fliock;

being removed, and the shackle being shown FigureyS isfia'vertical sectionon the line 8''8 of Fi-gureT;

Figure 9 isa horizontal section on the line 9-9 of, Figure 17; I v f Figure, 10=is a horizontal seetio-n onan enlarged scale, showing the engaging por-.

tions of the shackle and latch, as hereinafter described; and

Figures 11 and 12 are side and front views respectively, showing a shield which I may employ, if desired, in some cases. I

7 Referring to the drawings in detail, a

mine car of a common type is illustrated at A, and is shown in connection with a track B, a chute C, and a tilting or dumping mechanismD. This need not be described in detail, but is so constructed as to tilt the car into an inclined position, as illustrated, so as to discharge its contents into the chute C. This is a common method of unloading mine cars. I

I propose to attach to the side of the car A, one of my improved locking hooks, the same'being designated in its entirety by the reference character E. The locking hook comprises a casing con sisting of a triangular frame I having front and back plates 2 and 3, secured thereto 7 as by means of screws 4. Bolts 5 are'provided by means of which the lock casing can be secured to the wall of the car A.v

Carried by the lock casing and movably mounted therein is a locking hook or shackle 6, integral with a straight shank 7 which is constructed to slide through a keeper or guide 8, secured to the bottom of the cats ing. Formed in the upper surface of the shank 7, adjacent the keeper 8, is a notch 9, and the tail of the shank 7 beyond his notch is preferably turned up, as illustrated at 10. Extending between this turned up'tail l0 and a hook 12 set into the sidewall of the casing,v I isa tension spring 11, which tends to urge 'the shank 7 and hook 6 outwardly into open position, as shown in Figure 2. It will be understood that the free endof the hook or shackle 6 is arranged to register with and enter an opening 13, in the side wall of the lock casing when the hook is in its closed or locked position, as shown in Figure 3. The hook is normally restrained from moving under the influence of the spring 11, by means of a swinging latch 14:, pivoted at its upper end at 15 to a suitable'cross-bar 16 or the like, and extending in an inclined direction toward the bottomof the'casing. The lower end of this latch 18 isshaped to engage with the notch 9 in the shank 7 Figure '3 shows the parts in locked position, with the lower end of the latch 14: engaging the notch 9; A slot 17 is provided in the lower part of the latch '14, through which slot the spring 11 extends. The spring therefore serves to preventlateral displacement of the latch 14.

The check 19, illustrated in Figure 6, is

provided with a hole or opening 20 of such size as to freely slip over the hook 6. Such 100k being in open position, as shownin Fig ure 2, when the empty car is'sent into the mine, the miner, when the car has been filled,

takes one of his cheeks bearing his identification number, and slips it over the hook 6. He then presses the hook inward until it reaches the position shown in full lines in Figure 3, and in this position, the hook will be locked by means of the latch 14 engaging the notch 9, as described. When in this locked position, it is obvious that. the check can not be removed from the hook or shackle 6.

When the car arrives at the tipple or other dumping station, and is turned to the tilted or inclined position shown at the left, in Figure 1, the tipple man presses with his finger upon the hook or shackle 6, and forces it still further inward to the position shown inulotted lines in Figure 3. This relieves the pressure of the spring on the end of-the latch 18, and permits such latch to swing, by

gravity, into the position shown in full lines in Figure 2, in which position it'is clear of the notch 9. Thereupon, when the shackle 6 is released, the spring 11 moves it outward to the open position shown in Figure 2, such outward movement being limited by engagement of the lower endof the latch 14, with the upturned tail 10 of the shank 7. After the hook or shackle 6 has thus been released and moved to open position, the,tip-,

by the angular position of the lock casing on car, relative to the horizon, for looking or releasingthe check:

It may sometimes happen that the tipple Y man or other person charged withthe duty of removing the checks from the cars as r they are dumped, fails to release the hook at the moment when the car is in its tilted position. If so, and the car is again righted, the check could not be subsequently removed, and this would give riseto con 'siderable inconveniencef In order to obviate this, and to take care of any emergency of this nature which may arise,"I have provided a small key-operated lock 21, such, for example, as a Yale cyl inder lock, having a bolt 22 projecting toward the latch 14, and provided with the usual key-hole 23, accessible from'the ut side of the casing 1. In the event, therefore, of failure to release the hook or shackle when the car is in its tfited position, the tipple man, who is provided with a key for the lock 21, may, by inserting this key in the key-hole 23, and turning masses it, project the bolt 22 and thus shift the latch ltout of engagement withthe notch 9, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 8.

This will release the shackle and permit the,

scribe'd,-the shackle and swinging latch are. mounted for movement in the same plane,

I have shown, in Figures 7 to -10, a modified construction in which the swinging latch lsmounted to move in a plane atright angles to the shackle. Referring to these figures, the lock comprises a casing 1 having a rear wall 1 and a front wall 2*. The hook or shackle .6 is carried'by a shank 7, extending transversely of the casing, and

the hook 6, instead of being vertical, is.

preferably inclined as shown. The hook or shackle is urged towardopen position -by means of a leaf spring 11*, secured at one end to the case, as indicated at ll", and having its lower free end bearing against the lip-turned tail 10 of the shank 7. The shank is confined and guided by means of a keeper 8*, secured to :the bottom of the casing.

Interposed betweenthe rear face 8" of the keeper 8* and the adjacent face of the upturned end lO of the shank 7 is the lower end of the swinging latch 14, )ivotallyv preventing accidental displacement of the swinging latchby reason of shocks or jars to the car during the handhng thereof.

I The spring 11 holds these corrugated faces and provided with in firm engagement and, when the car is tilted and it is desired to release the hook, said hook is pressed slightly backward into the casing and the latch will thereupon swing to one side clear of the shank 7, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 7. IVhen this occurs, the spring 11 will force the hook outwardly to open position, the outward movement being limited in this case I desire to point Inasmuch as in this modification, :the hook or shackle projects outwardly from "the side of the car,-it may bemore liable to injury, and tampering. Toprotectithe hook or shackle, therefore, I maysec ure to the front face of the look, a guard or sl iield The purpose of arranging the hook in an inclined rather than in a-vertica l position is toenable this hood or shield to be placed down closer to :the hook. The object" of having the hook inclined rather'than horizontal is to insure 'that'rthe check will always remain at that end of the "hook iad j acentithe shank so that it willnot drop soil when the hook is moved to :open position.

In some cases, either with the arrange ment shown in the'first six figiuresorwith that shown in Figures 7 "to 10,"it may ibe desirable to provide .a swinging shield or hood arranged to house or enclose the hook 6, and thus protect it from injury and from tampering 1 by unauthorized persons. This is illustrated in Figures 11 andl2,'=in

which the hood or shield is idesi-gnatedtat such as shown at 24, in Figures 8-=andT9."

:24: and is showna's hinged to .illle wfill 0f the casing at 25. "In operating'the look so or removed with the other. i The shield hangs by gravity inoperative position as shown, and thus conceals and protects the hook. I

In either of the modifications shown and described, it will be seen that I have provided a hook or shackle and gravitycontrolled means for holding it in its closed or locked position, and with key-operated means for releasing it in case of emergency, and it is thought that the many advantages of my invention will be readily appreciated-by those familiar with such matters, without further discussion. /Vhat I claim is 1 1. A check holder comprising a lock casing, a check supporting shackle carried by and projecting outside of saidv casing, said shackle being mounted for a rectilinear sliding movement to open and close the same, and means for holding the shackle closed while the lock casing is in oneposition, and for permitting it to be manually opened when the lock casing is shifted to another position. I Y 2. A check holder comprising a lock casing, a check supporting shackle carried thereby and movable to open and closed positions, a gravity-actuating swinging latch for holding theshackle in closed position, said latch being pivoted at its upper end, and having its lower end arranged to engage said shackle, means for normally restraining the latchv from responding to the influence of gravity, and means for moving the shackle to open position when'the latch swings by gravity out of engagement therewith, after being released. 7

- 3. A check holder comprising a lock casing, a check supporting shackle c rried thereby and movable to open and closed positions, a gravity-actuated swinging, latch. "for holding the shackle in closed position, and a spring for moving the shackle to open position when said latch is released, said spring normally serving to restrain said latch from responding to the influence, of gravity.

4. A check holder comprising alock casing, a check supporting shackle carried thereby and movab-le from open position to closed position and beyond closed position to a, third or release position, and a gravity-actuated swinging latch for engaging the shackle when in closed position so as to prevent it being moved to open position, said latch being releasable by moving the shackle to said third position.

5. The combination with a lock casing, a check supporting shackle movably carried thereby and constructed to open and close, means controlled by the angular position of the lock casing relative to the horizon for holding the shackle closed or permitting its manual release, and key-operated means for releasing said shackle regardless of the angular position of the lock casing.

6. A check holder comprising a lock casing a check supporting shackle mounted in said casing for sliding movement to open or closed positions, said shackle having a hookshaped portion projecting oustide of the casing, the extreme end of said hook shaped portion being arranged, when in closed position, to cooperate with the outer wall of said casing to retain the check, gravity controlled means for holding the shackle in. check retaining position, and a spring for moving the. shackle, when released, into open porition. V

7. The combination with a dumping car, of a check holder therefor comprising a lock casing secured to the car, a check sup ULYSSES s. SHOEMAKER. 

